Experience Life Three billion years in the making

The World of Jurassic Dinosaurs

The Prehistoric Museum completed its upgrade of the “Dinosaur Pit”, the central arena
of dinosaur skeletons from the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry. Among the additions
are two 3-D printed juvenile Allosaurus skeletons. The use of 3-D printing is slowly coming into use in museums and the Prehistoric
Museum is in the forefront of incorporating the technology in exhibits. Juvenile skeletons
are rare as fossils, but enough is known for us to attempt the reconstructions based
on 7 inch and 12 inch thighbones from Cleveland-Lloyd. A whole growth series of Allosaurus thigh bones in an exhibit shows incremental growth to adult size.

Several exhibits and exhibit cases were also installed on the barrier around the “Dino
Pit.” These include a large color-coded map that shows the distribution of dinosaur
bones excavated from the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry. An associated game invites the visitor
to play dinosaur detective to solve the mystery of why so many individuals of the
meat-eater Allosaurus are found there. One exhibit case of dinosaur injuries shows that life was not easy,
especially for Allosaurus. Even the largest dinosaur started small as can be seen in the case featuring a juvenile
dinosaur skeleton and skulls. Another exhibit compares brain casts of various dinosaurs
with that of a human. The term “dumb as dirt” is appropriate for these beasts! Skulls
and teeth are featured in another case, along with touchable replicas.

A large mural shows what the habitat looked like in eastern Utah 150 million years
ago. The mural features dinosaurs, flying reptiles, a crocodile and a small rodent-sized
early mammal. Evidence for the mural is presented with fossils and casts, as well
as touchable rocks that are used to infer the environment.

The upgrades are part of the museum’s permanent exhibits. Watch this space for more!